Players often find their comfort zone in the collegiate leagues before gaining traction in club play. For most of PayMaya’s starters, however, the opposite is the case.
The High Flyers, who just won their third match in four outings in the PVL Reinforced Conference on Saturday afternoon, have relied on several players who did not or have yet to find their niche with their UAAP squads.
Among locals, former National University Lady Bulldog Aiko Urdas has been one of PayMaya’s most consistent scorers, norming 7.8 points per contest. Urdas, who exhausted her UAAP playing eligibility in Season 80, struggled to regain her form after an ACL injury and barely saw playing time with the Lady Bulldogs.
Jerrili Malabanan has been starting for the High Flyers in place of the injured Grethcel Soltones, and has strutted her hard-hitting form. Averaging 6.25 points per match, Malabanan is getting much more playing than she did in the UAAP with the Far Eastern University Lady Tamaraws.
“Hindi ko rin masabi. Siguro mas kumportable lang talaga sila maglaro sa amin,” said PayMaya head coach Roger Gorayeb.
“Although gusto talaga namin na sana madala nila ‘yung nilalaro nila dito sa amin sa collegiate teams nila, iba kasi din kapag dito sila naglalaro sa amin. Hindi lang kita sa mukha ko, pero masaya lang kami ng mga ‘yan sa ensayo.”
Gorayeb has been coaching both players in the PVL for two years. He thinks getting this type of production from his players stems from trust.
“Kailangan mo lang naman sila bigyan ng tiwala. Importante ‘yun sa relationship ng player at coach. Kung may tiwala ka sa player mo, bibigay niyan lahat para sa team.”
And it is this trust that makes players like Malabanan and Urdas come back to Gorayeb during the summer.
